Marine securance means for towboats and the like



June 2, 1970 E. M. CHAMBERS 3,515,090

MARINE SECURANCE MEANS FOR TOWBOATS AND THE LIKE Filed May 28, 1968 [0 2 Sheets-Sheet l A fiflu\ 29 @C) Q 36 B Q 7 VW 1g 74 3? V NW 3 5g. 2 54 040 M iazz benst wwfz 1115' ar 1 0 mm? E. M. CHAMBERS 3,515,090 MARINE SECURANCE MEANS FOR TOWBOATS AND THE LIKE June 2, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 28, 1968 AWE/V2 01? I 6720122691 5.

United States Patent 3,515,090 MARINE SECURANCE MEANS FOR TOWBOATS AND THE LIKE Edgar M. Chambers, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor of one-half to Hymen Schlesinger, Pittsburgh, Pa. Filed May 28, 1968, Ser. No. 732,681 Int. Cl. B63b 21/00 US. Cl. 114235 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE I disclose marine securance means for a towboat and the like, said securance means including a turntable capable of being rotatably mounted upon a deck of said towboat, a boom structure including a first section pivotally mounted on said turntable for movement through a vertical arc relative thereto, and an extendible section, and quick-attach means mounted on said extendible section for attaching said section to a marine mooring device.

The present invention relates to securance means for marine applications and more particularly to securance means of the character described for securing a towboat to the stern end of a barge tow.

While this invention is described primarily in regard to towboat or river trafiic, the invention obviously is applicable to ocean-going towboats, ferries, ocean-going tankers, lake steamers for towing or docking purposes, as the case may be.

The towboat and the individual barges of a barge tow conventionally are lashed together with cables or ropes, which are looped or tied about a number of timber-heads or posts provided on the barges and on the foredeck of the towboat. For proper steerage of the barge tow, it is necessary to secure the towboat flush against the stern of the barge tow. For lashing purposes, each of the barges conventionally is provided with a pair of timberheads at each corner thereof and additional single timberheads spaced along the gunwales and fore and afterdecks of the barges. To aid in lashing the towboat to the barge timberheads, a number of capstans are conventionally mounted on the bow of the towboat. The larger towboats are provided with three capstans while smaller boats usually have two. The capstan lashings are secured to the rear deck timberheads of some of all of the barges at the stern ends of the strings. The capstans can be actuated to bring the towboat into flush bearing engagement with the barge tow.

While the aforementioned conventional barge and towboat securance means is satisfactory in some applications, a considerable number of man hours are consumed in lashing and unlashing the barge tow in landing work when the towboat must be used to assemble or disassemble a barge tow. Considering the tremendous quantities of freight shipped by river barges in this country, any saving in assembling and disassembling the tow is multiplied many times over. For example, the Emsworth Locks on the Ohio River (5 miles downstream from Pittsburgh, Pa.) handle more tonnage in a year than the Panama and Suez Canals combined.

The towboat in addition frequently must be disengaged from the barge tow when passing through river locks or the like. For example, there are 43 such locks between Pittsburgh and New Orleans, to of which usually require disassembling the tow and towboat. Still more time is consumed in lashing and unlashing the towboat when the towboat is used as a job boat, i.e., for job work or short hauls.

The conventional manner of lashing the barge tow and the towboat is complicated and made more time-consumice ing by the use of relatively heavy stranded cables. Cables of substantial strength are dictated by the large sizes of cargo barges, which may be of the order of 35' x 195'. Most coal barges are somewhat smaller, in the order of 26 x 175', but have a tare weight of 50 tons. When fully loaded, coal barges may weigh in the neighborhood of 1,000 tons each. Four-string barge tows of about 1700' in length are not uncommon, and a tow of this length can readily snap 1 stranded steel cables if not properly lashed. Thus, the lashing or other securance means between the towboat and the barge tow must be capable of withstanding tremendous forces.

The stresses imparted to the lashings result from the tremendous rudder power of most towboats. In a common towboat construction, numbers of propellers are mounted in bafile tubes having both flanking and main rudders associated therewith. Because of the directional effects of the propeller tubes these rudders can exert extremely large deflectional forces upon the towboat and hence upon the lashings securing the towboat to the barge tow. Therefore, it is vital that the towboat be faced up properly on the stem end of the tow.

To face up the towboat in the proper manner, the tow lashings must be carefully applied-a time-consuming operation, as slack in the lashings must be avoided for the reasons noted above. When lashing the tow in the conventional manner, it is difiicult and hazardousto apply the lashings and simultaneously to main the towboat flush against the stern of the tow. Although the conventionally provided capstans aid in tightening the tow lashings, the undertaking requires considerable manual labor and considerable care must be taken for the crews safety. When conventional lashings are finally secured, they allow little relative vertical movement between the barge tow and the towboat deck. Where such movement does occur the lashings may be snapped or loosened depending on the direction of movement. My invention also makes it possible to eliminate one or possibly more of the towboat capstans. Desirably, at least one capstan is retained in the event that use of auxiliary lashings is desired in conjunction with my novel securance means.

I overcome these disadvantages of the prior art by the provision of a quick-attach securance means mounted on the towboat for facing the boat up at the stern end of the barge tow. With the securance means of my invention, it is possible to eliminate at least one stern end deck hand on the barge tow. This is made possible by operation of my novel securance means entirely from the pilot house of the towboat. Additionally, the use of such securance means saves approximately one hour of lashing time whenever the towboat is assembled or dissassembled from the tow. With a 12 or 13 man crew, a normal complement on most trips, the number of man hours saved is considerable. In consequence, the towboat can make a greater number of trips in a given period with less manpower. The amount of landing work (not normally performed by the towboat crew) likewise is reduced.

Such landing work presently is performed by a crew of three men, which with my novel securance means can be reduced by at least one man.

I am aware of a number of prior patents relating to marine securance devices. For example, Isham 3,013,517 discloses a hooking device for mooring a boat or amphibious aircraft. The jaws of the device are actuated by pushing an actuating trigger against the ring of a mooring buoy. The hook device is cumbersome to manipulate as it must be aligned carefully with the mooring device so that the trigger will be actuated to close the jaws properly. After the jaws are closed and a hawster attached thereto, the pole forming part of the hook device is then detected. The pole is not permanently secured to the boat deck,

3 but merely provides a temporary expedient in the placement of the hook device.

Various types of mooring devices and marine couplings are shown in Mathews 3,353,512; Verneaux 3,125,059; Dorsey 2,699,586; No-rlin 3,067,716 and Nolf 3,060,885. None of these references discloses a permanent installation on a towboat of securance means which can be quick-attached and detached from barge timberheads or other mooring device. In particular, there is no disclosure of a boom structure which is capable of allowing differential elevations between the towboat deck and the barge tow. There is likewise no disclosure of a boom struc ture and quick-attach securance means which are mountable on a towboat deck and are capable of both vertical and horizontal movements relative to the deck. Finally, none of these references discloses a remotely operable securance means which can be manipulated from the pilot house of the towboat.

I accomplish these desirable results by providing marine securance means for a towboat and the like, said securance means including a turntable capable of being rotatably mounted upon a deck of said towboat, a boom structure including a first section pivotally mounted on said turntable for movement through a vertical arc relative thereto, and an extendible section, and quick-attach means mounted on said extendible section for attaching said section to a marine mooring device.

I also desirably provide similar securance means wherein means also are mounted on said extendible section for actuating said quick-attach means.

I also desirably provide similar securance means wherein said quick-attach means are shaped for attachment to a timberhead or the like of a barge or the like, and means are provided for retracting said extendible section to draw said boat and said barge into abutting contact therebetween so that said boat barge can [be steered as :a unit.

I also desirably provide similar securance means wherein said quick-attach means include a contractable cable loop, and means for contracting said loop about said mooring device.

I also desirably provide similar securance means wherein a complementarily shaped stop is mounted on the outward end of said extendible boom section for abutment against said mooring device when said cable loop is contracted thereabout.

I also desirably provide similar securance means Wherein a stabilizing rod is provided for said boom structure, an end portion of said rod being afiixed adjacent the distal end of said extendible section and said rod being slidably mounted on said first boom section.

I also desirably provide similar securance means wherein one end of said cable loop is affixed to the adjacent end portion of said extendible boom section, and the other end of said cable loop is secured to said cable loop contracting means, said loop being defined by a pulley rotatably mounted on said extendible section adjacent said first mentioned cable loop end.

During the foregoing discussion, various objects, features and advantages of the invention have been set forth. These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention together with structural details thereof will be elaborated upon during the forthcoming description of certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention and presently preferred methods of practicing the same. V

In the accompanying drawings I have shown certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention and have illustrated certain presently preferred methods of practicing the same, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial top plan view of a towboat secured or faced up to a barge tow in accordance with my inven-' tion;

FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational view of the barge 1 the novel securance means illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;

'FIG'. '4 is a longitudinally sectioned view of the securance means as shown in FIG. 3 and taken along reference line IVIV thereof; and

FIG. 5 is a partial side elevational View of my novel securance means and illustrating a modified lashing means.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a four-string barge tow 10 is illustrated to which a towboat 12 is faced up. Mounted on the foredeck 14 of the towboat are a pair of my novel securance means 16. Although two such means 16 are illustrated, it will be evident that a different number can be employed depending upon the application of the invention.

As described in greater detail in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, each of the securance means 16 is provided in a novel manner with at least four degrees of freedom. Thus, the securance means v16 is mounted on turntable 18 which is rotatably mounted on towboat deck 14 for horizontal movement of boom structure 20. Vertical movement of the boom structure is afforded by a horizontal pivot structure 22 by which the boom structure is mounted on the turntable 18. In addition, the boom structure 20- is extendible so that a loop lashing 24 mounted on the distal end of the boom 20 can be placed over timberhead 26 or other mooring device, which is normally provided on each barge 28. Such vertical movement accommodating the securance means to differing barge elevations which may vary from about 10 feet above water level when empty to less than one foot when fully loaded. Access to the barges 28 is facilitated by conventional lowering knees 29.

After the lashing loops 24 are so placed the booms 20 can be retracted to bring the towboat 12 flush against the barge tow 10. When this has been accomplished, a fourth degree of freedom permits tightening the lashing loop 24 about the associated timberhead 26. Such tightening means are mounted on an extendible section of the boom structure 20 as described below. Remotely operable means are provided for actuating the tightening means as Well as the extendible boom section, the turntable 18, and the boom pivot mounting 22.

When the towboat 12 has thus been properly faced up to the barge tow 10, the booms 20 can be actuated individually to adjust the rake of the adjacent strings of the barge tow. If desired, one or more capstans 30 likewise can be mounted on the foredeck 14 of the towboat for tightening auxiliary and conventional lashings 32 about timberheads 34 of the barges. This can be done as a precautionary measure or in the event that exceptionally long tows are encountered. Additional lashings (not shown) can be attached to cavels 35.

When attaching my novel securance means 16 as better shown in FIG. 1, each securance means preferably is given an angular disposition so that when the towboat 12 is properly faced up to the tow 10, there is no possibility of sidewise play of the towboat 12 relative to the stem end of the barge tow 10. This is extremely important owing to the aforementioned, severe sidewise force developed by the towboat rudders. The turntable mounting of the securance means 16 together with their proper angular disposition, prevents the application of bending forces to the boom structures 20. As a result, these structures encounter only compressive or tensile forces. Such forces, are readily absorbed by the boom structures apparent from FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings.

"In addition, the pivot mountings 22 of the securance means 16 allow for different levels in elevation between the towboat 12 and the barge tow 10. Asis known the elevation of the barge decks '36 may vary from as little as a few inches above Water level when the barge is fully loaded to approximately three feet or more when the barge is empty.

Referring now'to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, an

exemplary form of my novel securance means 16 is shown in its retracted position and is mounted in this example on foredeck 14, a portion of which is shown in FIG. 3. As noted previously, the securance means includes a boom structure 20, which in this example is formed from an elongated piston and cylinder arrangement 40. The cylinder 40 is provided with trunnions 42, which are mounted in a pair of pillow blocks 44 or equivalent bearing means supported upon turntable housing 46.

The turntable housing 46 can be rotated by motor and speed reducer denoted generally by reference character 48 and gearing train 50 or equivalent transmission. Desirably an additional motor and reduced 52 are mounted on the turntable housing 46 for rotating pinion 54 and gear segment 56, the latter of which is secured to trunnion 42 for elevating the boom structure 20.

The boom cylinder is provided with suitable hydraulic or pneumatic connections denoted by conduit portions 58 and 60. Desirably, the motor-gear units 48, 52 and the cylinder 40, together with the cable loop cylinder 62 presently to bedescribed are operated remotely by suitable and known electrical and fluid circuitry from pilot house 64 (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the towboat 12.

The aforementioned cable loop cylinder 62 is inserted into the outward hollowed end portion 66 of the boom piston 68. The distal end of the associated cable loop piston rod 70 is secured to clevis 72 to which a spliced end 74 of cable loop 76 is secured. The other spliced end 78 of the cable loop 76 is secured to pin 80 and thus is supported in a substantial by-fixed manner relative to plate structure 82. The plate structure is secured'to the distal end of boom piston rod 68, and in this example is aflixed to a projecting end portion 84 of the cable loop cylinder 62, which is rigidly secured to the boom piston rod 68 as by welding at 86.

The cable loop cylinder 62 can be actuated through suitable hydraulic or pneumatic connections 85, 87 coupled to the distal end of the piston rod 68 in communication with the end portion of the loop cylinder 62. For access to the inward loop cylinder end, the conduit connection 87 communicates thru longitudinal passage 89 in the piston rod 68.

As the cable loop piston 88 is reciprocated together with its piston rod 70, the cable loop 76 is defined by pulley 90 likewise mounted on the plate structure 82 adjacent the fixed end of the loop 76. When the cable loop piston 88 is moved to its solid outline position, as shown in FIG. 4, the cable loop 76 is provided with its maximum circumference and thus can be readily looped over the timber head 92. When the cable loop has been thus laced, the cable loop piston 88 is actuated for example to its chain outline position 96 (FIG. 4) and the movable cable loop end 74 to its chain outline position 98. This action tightens the cable loop 76 as denoted by its chain outline position 100 securely about the timberhead 92. This tightening is aided by stop 102 having a complementarily shaped or arcuate face portion 104 for complementary engagement with the timberhead 92 at the secured position 100 of the cable loop 76. Desirably the complementarily shaped (in the case, arcuate) step 102 is pivotally mounted upon the plate structure 82 as denoted by reference character 103. With this arrangement the stop 102 can be pivoted slightly to align itself with larger or smaller diameter timberheads when the cable loop 76 is tightened or contracted.

The outward end of the boom 20, including its plate structure 82 is now securely fastened to the timberhead 92, and the boom cylinder 40 can be actuated to aid in facing the towboat 12 up against the stern of the barge tow 10. During this time and thereafter, the cable loop 76 is maintained in its tightened condition by a conventional holding valve (not shown) coupled to conduit 85. The loop piston 88 therefore is retained in its inwardmost position which is, of course, determined by the girths of the timberhead 92.

During extension or retraction of the boom 20, the latter desirably is stabilized by a relatively heavy rod 106, one end of which is aflixed to bracket 108, which is in turn secured to the rear upper surface of the plate structure 82, preferably adjacent its junction with the outward end portion 84 of the loop cylinder 62. The stabilized rod 106 is further and slidably mounted in bracket 110 mounted on the base boom section of the boom structure 20, i.e., the cylinder 40.

In FIG. 5 of the drawings, a modified cable loop construction 112 is illustrated. Where the securance forces are unusually great or where it is desired to use smaller diameter cables, the cable loop 76' can be formed from two or more parallel cable loop sections 114, each of which is otherwise formed as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings.

In operation, the use of the turntable 46 with the boom structure 20 pivoted thereon permits the securance means to be aligned both horizontally and vertically with the timberhead 92. When so aligned, the boom 20 is extended to place the cable loop 76 about timberhead 92 and preferably midway down the length thereof. The cable cylinder 62 is then actuated to fasten the boom 20' securely to timberhead 92. The towboat is then faced up to the tow, by actuating boom cylinder 40, so that the adjacent barges are snubbed against the stop of the 'bow of the towboat 12. This is accomplished by actuating the boom cylinder 40. The boom cylinder, and associated components, is capable of exerting sufficient retractive force that the towboat and barges can be turned or steered as a unit, when so coupled. In order to release the securance means 16, the aforementioned procedure is reversed.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that novel and efiicient forms of timberhead securance means for towboats and the like have been described herein. While I have shown and described certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention and have illustrated presently preferred methods of practicing the same, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Marine securance means for joining a first boat to a second boat, said securance means including a turntable rotatably mounted upon a deck of said first boat, a boom structure including a first section pivotally mounted on said turntable for movement in a substantially vertical are relative thereto, an extendible boom section mounted for longitudinal movement on said first boom section, cooperating attachment means mounted on said extendible section and on said second boat for securing said' first and said second boats together, a hull portion on each of said boats being shaped for abutting contact therebetween, means for retracting said extendible section upon adjoining of said cooperative attachment means to draw said hull sections into abutting contact so that said first and said second boats together, a hull portion on each mounted on said extendible boom section for actuating said attachment means.

2. Marine securance means for a boat and the like, said securance means including a turntable capable of being rotatably mounted upon a deck of said boat, a boom structure including a first section pivotally mounted on said turntable for movement through a vertical are relative thereto, and an extendible section, and quickattach means mounted entirely on said extendible section for attaching said section to a marine mooring device, said quick-attach means including a contractable cable loop, and means on said extendible section for contracting said loop about said mooring device.

3. Marine securance means for a boat and the like, said securance means including a turntable capable of being rotatably mounted upon a deck of said boat, a boom structure including a first section pivotally mounton said turntable for movement through a vertical arc relative thereto, and an extendible section, and quickattach means mounted on said extendible section for attaching said section to a marine mooring device, said boom structure including an elongated piston and cylinder arrangement, said cylinder being pivoted to said turntable by trunnions secured to the outer surface of said cylinder.

4. The combination according to claim 2 wherein a complementarily shaped stop is mounted on the outward end of said exetendible boom section for abutment against said mooring device when said cable loop is contracted thereabout.

5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein said shaped stop is pivoted to said extendible boom section to accommodate mooring devices of varying sizes.

6. The combination according to claim 3 wherein an additional piston and cylinder are provided for actuating said quick-attach means, said cylinder being mounted in a hollowed distal end portion of a piston rod for said boom piston and cylinder arrangement.

7. Marine securance means for a boat and the like, said securance means including a turntable capable of being rotatably mounted upon a deck of said boat, a boom structure including a first section pivotally mounted on said turntable for movement through a vertical are relative thereto, and an extendible section, and quick-v attach means mounted on said extendible section for attaching said section to a marine mooring device, said quick-attach means including a contractable cable loop, means for contracting said loop about said mooring device, one end of said cable loop being secured to said cable loop contracting means, said loop being defined by a pulley rotatably mounted on said extendible section adjacent said first-mentioned cable loop end.

8. The combination according to claim 6 wherein conduit means for said additional cylinder are connected to the distal end portion of said piston rod and are extended therethrough for communication with said additional cylinder.

9. Marine securance means for a boat and the like, said securance means including a turntable capable of being rotatably mounted upon a deck of said boat, a boom structure including a first section pivotally mounted on said turntable for movement through a vertical arc-relative thereto, and an eXtendible section, quick-attach means mounted entirely on said. extendible" section for attaching said section to a marine mooring device; and-means mounted on 'saidextendiblesection for actuating said quick-attach means, said actuating means including a piston and cylinder, said cylinder being mounted in a hollow distal end portion of said-cylinder.

10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein conduit means for said cylinder are connected to the distal end portion of said extendible section andare extended therethrough for communication with said cylinder.

11; Marine securance means for a boat and the like, said securance means including -a' turntable rotatably mounted upon a deck'ofsaid boat, a boom structure including a first section pivotally mounted on said turntable for movement through a substantially vertical arc relatve thereto, an extendible boom section mounted on said first section for movement longitudinally thereof, quick-attach mens mounted on said extendible section for attaching said section to a marine mooring device, means mounted on said extendible section for actuating said quick-attach means, a stabilizing rod for said boom structure, an end portion ofsaid rod being spacedly affixed to said extendible boom section for movement therewith, said rod 'being spacedly and slidably mounted on said first 'boom section to aid in guiding and supporting said extendible boom section throughout its path of movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,345,971 10/1967 Stanwick 114235 2,699,586 1/1955 Dorsey et al. 3,224,404 12/1965 De Jong 114-23O OTHER REFERENCES 1,215,548 April 1966 German Printed App. Kuil (1) 114-235 2-4.

1,247,894 August 1967 German Printed App. Kuil (2) 114-235 23.'

TRYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,515,090 June 2, 1970 Edgar M. Chambers It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 70, "hawster" should read hawser Column 3, line 36, after "boat" insert and said Column 5, line 13, "reduced" should read reducer Column 6, line 56, "together, a hull portion on each" should read can be steered as a unit, and means Column 7, line 10, exetendible" should read extendible Column 8, line 18, "relatve" should read relative line 20, "mens" should read means Signed and sealed this 5th day of January 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

vAttesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

